Just a few years ago, the idea of kid-friendly 3D printers made for a pretty good April Fools’ joke. Well, reality has caught up to the punchline. In February, Mattel launched its $300 ThingMaker, a 3D printer with a kid-friendly app that lets children design, print, and build their own toys. Check out this post in The Week for more.

Millions of children want to be the next Stampy or Diamond Minecart. How to do it is easy enough, but how to do it safely and appropriately is the bigger question. Check out this Guardian (UK) story for more.

Check out this segment from Boston’s FOX 25 highlighting Kids Zone on Comcast’s X1 platform and the importance of age appropriate TV/video viewing habits.

From the piece:

What are your kids watching on TV? Is it age appropriate? Too violent? Too scary?

Many parents are concerned with what their children are watching on TV, but how can they control it?

With a new feature called Kids Zone on the Xfinity’s X1 Entertainment Operating System, parents can now control what their children watch while still allowing their kids to take control of the remote. Joshua Chase, a Comcast Product marketing Specialist, explains this new feature: “It’s an enclosed ecosystem that you can program based on your kid’s age that shows free on demand content, live content, and any DVR recordings that you have.” Kids feel like they have the control and parents don’t have to worry about their kids flipping to something not age-appropriate. It’s a win, win!

“The digital world is changing around us at a dizzying pace; parents want guidance, and pediatricians want to answer their questions with helpful and scientifically valid advice. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy on children and media is probably best known for two recommendations: to discourage any screen time for children under 2, and to limit screen time to two hours a day for older children.”